Romney 2012: Trump has an 'extraordinary ability' to understand foreign policy, economics, and job creation

Later today, Mitt Romney will be giving what his people call a "major" 2016 speech. As we discussed yesterday, Romney appears to be emerging as a sort of carnival barker for the GOP establishment - the go to guy when they need someone to get their agenda in front of the cameras. If early reports are correct, he'll spend most of his airtime attacking the Republican frontrunner - labelling Trump a "phony" and a "fraud." Pot? Meet kettle. Here's a clip from 2012, when Mittens gleefully accepted Trump's endorsement: (See Below)

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"There are some things you just can't imagine happening in your life. This is one of them. Being in Donald Trump's magnificent hotel and having his endorsement is a delight. I am so honored and pleased to have Donald Trump's endorsement. Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works. To create jobs for the American people. He's done it here in Nevada. He's done it across the country. He understands that our economy is facing threats from abroad. He's one of the few people who stood up and said China has been cheating. They've taken jobs from Americans. They haven't played fair. We have to have a President who will stand up to cheaters. We believe in free trade and free enterprise, but we don't believe in allowing people to cheat day in and day out. "

In case you've forgotten, the knock against Romney was always that he was a shameless flip-flopper. He was for gun control before he discovered his love of the 2nd Amendment. He was pro-choice until a personal moment changed his mind and he became pro-life. He basically gave the world ObamaCare before announcing what a terrible plan it was. Eventually, his inability to pick a side on any issue convinced GOP voters to stay home.

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What a glowing assessment of Trump's skill and intelligence! I case you can't hear the clip; Romney says: Let's be honest, Trump has some of the identical skeletons in his closet. He's got six months to convince voters that his conservative conversion is genuine. ...But Romney's criticism should be ignored. Mitt was all for Trump when it was politically expedient. Now that the GOP elite winds have shifted, he's switched his stance. The harsh truth is: Romney's a failed candidate who should have been able to topple a failing President. He's trying to stay relevant while maintaining his retirement. We get it. The only real question to ask is: was Mitt lying back in 2012, or is he lying today?

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